Display-signal.



E. I. KRNGSBURY.

DISPLAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-25.1916.

Patented Nov. 6, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. J. KHNGSBURY.

DISPLAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-25.1916

1,245,467. malted Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- E. J. KINGSBURY DISPLAY SIIGNAL. APPLICATION FILEDSEPT.25. 191s.

1,245A67. PatentedNov. c, 1917.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3- EL'MER J'. KINGS BURY, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY- SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 25, 1916. Serial No; 121,991.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l,'E nMER' J. KINGSBU Y, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and'State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inDisplay-Signals, of which the 'followinr 'i's a full, clear, concise,and exact descriptlon, reference. bclng had 'to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification. I

My invention relates to display signs, and more particularly to thatcharacter of sign in which a plurality of individual units are utilizedto make up a-complete sign. These individual units are. controlled sothat any letter or character maybe displayed in each of them, thus thatthe complete sign portrays any' desired legend.

My invention concerns itself with control apparatus for signs of thischaracter m which automatically different succeeding legends may beflashed from the sign. My invention concerns itself in detail withsimplified setting means for setting up the various legends so that theymay be thereafter automatically displayed by the sign, the

structure being such that succeeding legends may be set up withoutinterfering with the portrayal of previously set up legends.

I will explain my invention more in detail by referring to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view partly diagrammaticillustrating the general arrangement of the control apparatus; a

Fig. 2.is an enlarged view partly 1n section of one of the flash units;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4: is a sectional view on, line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modification; Fig. 6 is a detail top viewof a settlng unit; I

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a side view of the setting unit shown in Fig. 6.

Referringmore particularly to Fig. 1, I-

show three sign units 10, 11 and 12, which are representative of a sign,wh1ch slgn may of course haxe any desired number of suc units. Eachsi'has a flash unit, there being but two in icated, res ectively the flashunit 13 for the'sign 10 an the flash unit 14 for'the sign unit 11. Eachflash unit 13 has a plurality of setting units, there being shown inFig. 1, however, only two setting unlts respectively the setting units15 and 16, which cooperate with the flash unit 13. The number ofsuccessive legends which can be displayed on the sign without anyattention on the part ofthe operator would depend upon the number ofsetting units that may be arranged for in connection with" these flashunits. For instance, if the sign had three sign units as shown in Fig.1, there would be three flash units, and if there were to be portrayedfour successive legends without resetting then there would be foursetting units for each flash unit, making twelve setting units all-told.Thus in the arrangement stated for Fig. 1, there would be three settintgunits corresponding to one legend, three or the second, three for'thethird, and three for the fourth; the three setting units for the firstlegend would be set to display a legend, likewise the second set ofthree would be set, as also the third and-fourth. Then theflash unitswould be, automatically operated through the agency of the drive shaft'17 to automatically successively display the four legends that had beenpreviousl set up. Thus assume that the setting unit 15'were set todisplay the character A, and the settin unit 16 were set to display thecharacter then the continuous operation of the flash unit 13 couldsuccessively display the characters -A and B in the sign, unit 10'. vcharacters would more particularly illustrated in Fig. 2 where own ascomprising a shaft or spindle it is s 18 which carries a drum 19 ofinsulating Patented Nov. 6, 1 917.

material. This drum has a pluralit of colflector rings'20. Thesecollector rmgs 'entirely encircle the drum and are separated by rings ofinsulation 21. The drum 19 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 18 androtates therewith. This shaft 19 receives its rotation from the driveshaft. 19 through the bevel gears 22, 23. For each collector ring thereis a brush 24. These brushes are firmly held in the insulating frame 25by the bolts 26. These bolts at their extremities have binding post nuts27 by means of which wires 28 connect these brushes 24; directly to thevarious lamps 29 of the corresponding sign unit, this being the signunit 10 of Fig. 1. These conductors 28 are diagrammatically shown asbeing collected together in a cable 30 which extends from the flash unit13 to the sign unit 10. Similarly a cable 31 connects the brushes of theflash unit 14 with the lamps of the sign unit 11. The shaft 18 isi-otatably mounted in the framework 25 as shown and carries a furtherdrum .32 of insulating material. This drum as shown more clearly inFigs. 2 and 3 is provided with a plurality of segmental contact segments33. These contact segments in the said illustration are of the samewidth and are all alined 'vertically so that these contact segmentssimultaneously touch their cooperating brushes which are likewisevertically alined. The are mounted to 006perate with each of t esegments 33 and plurality of brushes depending upon the number ofsetting units that there may be as but two setting units 15 and 16 areshown in Fig. 1. Therewill be two brushes 34 and- 35. These brushes ofwhich there is a pair for each segment 33 are insulatipgly mountedthrough the agency of the bolts 36 and 37 which carry at thelrextremities binding posts 38 and 39 for connecting wires thereto. Foreach additional setting unit added there will be additional brushesmounted upon the blocks 40, 41, 42 or 43. Thus the contactv segment 33successively engages the'brus hes with which it coiiperates and thus issuccessively in circuit with one after another of whatever setting unitsare employed to cooperate with the particular flash unit. In practicethere would be enough brushes so that the segment 33 would be, exceptfor the intervals between the legends, continuously in electricalcontact with one or the other ofthe setting units". If but two brushes34 and 35 were employed then the segment 33 might desirably extend for alength of slightly less than l 80l about the periphery of the drum 32.If si'x brushes are employed then the angular extent of the segment 33would be a trifle less than 60 The segments 33 re connected each to eachby means of the ond'uctors 44 with the collector rings 20, there beingas many segments 33' as there are collector rings and there being asmany collector rings as there are lamps in a sign. The set of brushes 34are connected by means of wires 45 with the set-5 ting unit 15,and thebrushes 35 are conriected by means of wires 46 with the setting unit 16.Cables 47 and 48 diagrammatically indicate the wires as they extendbetween the flash unit and the setting units. Similarly cables 49 and 50indicate the outgo of the wires from the flash unit 14 for itsrespective setting units.

-A settin 'unit is more particularly illus-- trated in igs. 6, 7 and 8.This setting unit pointer 58 extending upwardly therefrom.

-A character indicating plate 59 is mounted in close association withthe ways 55 and 56 and coiiperates with the pointer 58. The arrangementis such as will be presently apparent that a movement of the conductingplate 51 to a position in which the pointer 58 coiiperates, say with theletter 0, will cause the display of the letter 0 upon the correspondingsign unit when the segment 33'co6perates with the brushes leading tothat particular setting unit.- Cooperating with the plate 51 is aninsulating bridge 60, which insulating bridge carries a pluralityofbrushes 61. ,These brushes 61 have binding posts 62 by means of whichthey are respectively connected through the agency of the conductors 45to the flash unit 15, that is, to the brushes 34 thereof. There are asmany brushes 61 as there are brushes 34 and there'are as many brushes 34as there are brushes. 24, and there are as many brushes 24 as there arelamps in a unit sign. The conducting plate 51 has metallic I protrusions63 of unlike shape, which .protrusions form part of the metallic portionof the plate 51. These protrusions are arranged so as to connect certainpredetermined brushes 61 through the agency of the plate 51 with thesource of current 52, the selection of the particular brushes 61depending upon the position of the plate 51. Thus in the position of theplate shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, those protrusions of the plate 51engage the brushes 61 which are equipped to form the letter O in thesign unit 10. The plate 51 can be moved of course into any, givenposition so as to portray any of the characters shown on the index plate59, or others that may be selected and arranged for.

It-will be apparent from this that as many succeeding legends can beautomatically displayed upon the sign through the agency of the flashersas there are setting units for the setting units can be set intodiflerent positions during the course of the operation of the sign sothat the sign may continuously display different legends which are beingset up while others are being displayed. The extreme simplicity of thesetting device makes this possible in that it is necessary to veryquickly arrange for a legend with signs of this character, and the meresliding of the plate 51 into position is all that 'is necessarytoarrange for the projection of the corresponding character upon the co'-although of course the arrangement also could be such as to cause thecharacter to have its various illuminating units successivelyextinguished.

- From what has been thus describedthe nature of my invention will bereadily clear to those skilled in the art.

Having however thus described one form which my invention may take, whatI claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent is:

1. A device 0 the. character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters, and means for successively displayingunlike characters in said sign unit, said means including a characterselecting element having means to control the selection of any one of aplurality of unlike characters togetherwith means for moving saidelement into any predetermined position for the selection of, anypredetermined character and individualcharacter elements cooperatingwith said character selecting element whereby the position of saidcharacter selecting element in cooperative relation with any differentcharacter element controls the selection of that character.

2. A device of the character described comprisinga sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters,

and means for successively displaying unlike charactersin said signunit, said means including a movable circuit controlling device and aplurality of individual character controlling elements adapted forsuccessive association with said sign unit through the agency of saidcircuit controlling device, each said character controlling elementhaving means corresponding to each character j desired for portrayal.

3. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters, and means for successivelydisplaying'unlike characters, in said sign unit, said means including amovable circuit controlling device and a plurality of individualcharacter controlling elements adapted for successive association withsaid sign unit through the agency of said circuit controlling device,each said character controlling element having means to correspond toeach character desired for portrayal, said cir- 'cuit controlling devicehaving circuit controlling means associated With said illuminatingdevices and having circuit controlling means adapted for successiveassociation with said character controlling .ele-

ments.

4. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike char actors, and means for successively displayingunlike characters in said sign unit, said means including a rotatablecircuit'controlling device and a plurality of individual charactercontrolling elements adapted for successive association with said signunitthrough the agency of said circuit controlling device, each saidcharacter controlling element having means corresponding to eachcharacter desired for portrayal.

5. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters, and means for successively displayingunlike characters in said sign unit, said means including a rotatablecircuit control: ling device and a plurality of individual charactercontrolling elements adapted for successive association with saidsignunit through the agency of said circuit controlling device, eachsaid character controlling element having means to correspond to eachcharacter desired for .portrayal, said circuit controlling device havingcircuit controllingmeans associated with said illuminating devices andhaving circuit controlling means adapted for successive association Withsaid character controlling elements.

6. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters, and means for successively displayingunlike charactersxin said sign units, said means including a rotatablecircuit controlling device and a plurality of individual charactercontrolling elements adapted for successive association with said signunit through the agency of said circuit controlling device,-eachsaidcharacter controlling element having means to correspond to eachcharacter desired for portrayal, said circuit controlling device havinga plurality of collector rings and brushes respectively associated withsaid illuminating devices, and a plurality of contact elementsassociated llO with said collector rings adapted for successiveassociation with said character controlling elements.

7. A device of the character .described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters, and means for successively displayingunlike characters in said sign unit, said means including a movablecircuit controlling device and a plurality. of individual charactercontrolling elements adapted for successive association with said signunit through the agency of said circuit controlling device, each of saidindividual character controlling elements having individual circuitcontrolling means expressive of each character desired for portrayal.

8. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters,

and means for successively displaying un like characters in said signunit, said means including a movable circuit controlling device, aplurality of individual character controlling elements adapted forsuccessiveassociation with said sign unit through the agency of saidcircuit controlling device, contact elements associated with saidcharacter controlling elements, and means for causing a relativeadjustment between said character controlling elements and theirassociated contacts to contml the selection of the various desiredcharacters.

9. A device of the character described comprising a signunit having aplurality ofilluminating devices adapted by their selective actuation toportray unlike characters, and means for successively displaying unlikecharacters in said sign unit, said means including a movablecircuit'controlling device, a plurality of individual charactercontrolling elements adapted for successive association with saidv signunit through the agency of said circuit controlling device, each of saidindividual charac- .ter controlling elements having means to control theselection of any predetermined one of a plurality of characters, contactelements associated with said character controllingelements, and meansfor causing a relative adjustment between said character controllingelements and their associated contacts to control the selection of thevarious desired characters.

10. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted b their selective actuation toportray unli e characters, and means for successively displaying unlikecharacters in'said sign unit, said means including a movable circuitcontrolling device and a plurality of individual character controllingelements adapted for successive association with said sign unit throughthe agency of said circuit controlling device, each said charactercontrolling element having means .to correspond to each characterdesired for portrayal, said circuit controlling device having means forsuccessively causing illumination of the illuminating devices selectedfor the portrayal of any given character.

11. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters, and means for successively displayingunlike characters in said sign unit, said means including a movablecircuit controlling device having means for successively causingillumination of the illuminating de- 'vices selected for the portrayalof any given character together with a manually operable setting devicehaving individual character elements expressive of each characterdesiredfor portrayal.

12. A device of the character described comprising a sign unit having aplurality of illuminating devices adapted by their selective actuationto portray unlike characters, and means for successively displayingunlike characters in said sign unit, said means including a charactercontrolling element having means to control the selection of any one ofa plurality of unlike characters together with means for moving saidelement into any predetermined position for the selection of anypredeterminedcharacter, and an indicating plate cooperating with saidlast aforesaid means to indicate the particular character for which saidcharacter controlling element is set.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day ofSeptember, A. D. 1916.

ELMER J. KINGSBURY.

